Tamil Nadu BJP leaders, including Annamalai, Tamilisai, arrested ahead of protest at TASMAC headquarters

Tamil Nadu BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and other BJP functionaries detained ahead of their protest against TASMAC in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on March 17, 2025. Photo: X/@BJP4TamilNadu

Several Tamil Nadu BJP leaders, including State president K. Annamalai and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, were arrested by the Chennai city police on Monday (March 17, 2025) ahead of a protest against the alleged irregularities in the Tamilnadu State Marketing Corporation(TASMAC). Mr. Annamalai was stopped by the police at 1km from his house his house in Akkarai and was taken into custody while he was proceeding to the protest venue.

Ms. Soundararajan was taken into custody when she was leaving her house to head to the protest venue.

BJP MLAs Vanathi Srinivasan, who is the national president of BJP Mahila Morcha, and Saraswathi were also arrested  near the State Secretariat.

Tamil Nadu BJP had planned to protest outside the TASMAC head office in Egmore Chennai over the alleged ₹1,000-crore financial irregularities at TASMAC. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had recently conducted searches at the TASMAC headquarters.

Ms. Soundararajan was preparing to leave her house in Saligramam on Monday (March 17, 2025) morning after her supporters gathered there. Police cordoned off her house by deploying more personnel since the morning. She was taken into custody by police when she came out from her house in order to prevent her from participating in the protest. There was push and pull between party workers and police personnel, when the latter arrested them.

Police also arrested BJP functionaries and cadres who gathered at Rajarathinam Stadium when they planned to proceed towards TASMAC head office in CMDA building in Egmore. Another BJP functionary Vinoj P. Selvam in T Nagar and a group of party workers in Taramani were also arrested.

BJP State unit president K.Annamalai condemned the arrest. In his social media handle, he said, “Is it because we declared the protest democratically and announced the date of the protest in advance that you (government) are able to engage in such cowardly actions? What can you do if we suddenly launch a protest one day, without announcing a date?”